Counting Down with You(115)

I’ll be stronger. Braver. Bolder. I will win in the end. And Dadu will always support me.

Now that everything is resolved, now that my future is in my own hands, I can recognize Ace was right.

My true bravery was always there, hidden within my strength.

I text Nandini and Cora immediately with the good news, and they FaceTime me in tears. Cora is at the hairdresser and Nandini is at the movie theater, but neither hesitated to call. Of course they didn’t.

“We were so worried about you.” Cora sniffles. “I didn’t know what to do and Nandini said there wasn’t anything we could do, but I just love you so much and want you to be happy.”

“I was right,” Nandini says, but she’s rubbing at her red-rimmed eyes, too. “It wasn’t anything we did. You saved yourself, Karina. I’m so proud of you. We both are.”

“You guys did so much, though,” I say, refusing to let them gloss over their support. “You were there for me. You gave me the space I needed. You supported me from the beginning. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Cora starts crying again, which sets off my own tears. Nandini tries to maintain a cool image, but her eyes are glassy, too.

“We’re so happy for you.” Cora wipes her nose hastily. “I’m going to give you the biggest fucking hug when I see you.”

“This is everything you deserve.” Nandini’s expression is so earnest I have to look away and take a deep breath to keep another round of tears from slipping free.

“Thank you.” I wave a hand in front of my eyes like the cool air will keep them from watering. “I missed you both impossibly. Thank you for putting up with me these past two weeks.”

“You’re stuck with us for life,” Nandini says.

I smile shakily. “Pinky promise?” I raise my pinky toward the camera.

“Pinky promise,” Nandini says, holding her pinky up.

Cora nods eagerly, holding up her pinky. “Pinky promise. NCK forever.”

All three of us start laughing and it feels right. I’ve missed this. I’ve missed them.

But there’s still one more person I need to talk to.

T-PLUS 15 DAYS

Monday morning, I wait in front of Ace’s locker. It means not seeing Nandini and Cora until English, but this is something I have to do in person.

My heart is racing in my chest but, for once, it’s for a good reason. I’m nervous but I’m also excited to tell him everything.

Earlier, Ace said I was the reason he found the bravery to talk to his family. As it turns out, he’s also the reason I found the bravery to talk to mine.

Maybe we bring out the best in each other. That’s not something I’m willing to lose.

I’m staring out the window at the end of the hallway when someone walks up behind me.

“Karina?” Ace says incredulously, and when I turn, he’s stopped in his tracks, staring at me with wide eyes.

I smile. “Are you still waiting?”

Ace looks gobsmacked, his lips parted with no words coming out. He finally shakes his head, as if he’s trying to gather himself. “Yes. Of course, yes.”

I take a small step closer. It’s dizzying to have Ace so close but so far. “You can stop.”

“Stop...waiting?” Ace asks. He looks even more dazed than I feel.

My smile widens. “Yeah. I’m here. To stay.”

Ace’s eyes glitter. “Yeah? What happened?”

One more step closer.

“I talked to my parents again, but with Dadu’s help this time. I convinced them to let me study English.” It’s so hard to contain the hope rising inside me, trying to burst through the surface. It doesn’t help that Ace is looking at me like I’m the only person in the world. “I’m applying to Columbia in the fall. I was thinking we could work on our college essays together, if you want. Maybe after prom?”

Ace laughs breathlessly. “My English tutor might get jealous.”

Another step. The butterflies in my stomach are growing jittery, fluttering around in a frenzy. “That’s too bad. I think your girlfriend takes priority over your English tutor, though.”

He raises his eyebrows, a beautiful and familiar grin tugging at his lips. “My girlfriend?”

I nod, cheeks warming. “If that’s okay with you.”

Ace makes an incoherent noise in reply and crosses the distance between us, pulling me into a kiss.

I laugh against his lips. It’s easy to kiss him back. More natural than anything. I melt into the kiss, curving in toward him. My heart is beating like a sledgehammer in my chest, as if it’s moments away from giving out.

If I die in Ace Clyde’s arms, I’ll die happy.

Ace is the one to pull away, resting his forehead against mine. His eyes are somehow impossibly brighter, shining with the brilliance of a thousand lightning bolts. “Karina Ahmed, I’m so crazy about you. I always knew you were the bravest person I’ve ever met.”

A giggle slips past my lips. “Ace Clyde, I’m completely mad about you, too. Thank you for believing in me.”

We stand there in the middle of the hallway, just breathing in each other’s presence. Ace’s fingers are tracing the slope of my nose, as if he’s trying to memorize me, when I’m reminded of something incredibly important.